Solve -2x² + 4x - 7 = 0
-2x² + 4x - 7 = 0 has no real solutions. The two complex solutions are x = (2 + √10 i)/2 and x = (2 - √10 i)/2.
Change a, b or c (whole numbers, a not 0) and the exact solutions follow.
How to work it out
- 1
Write it in standard form a x² + b x + c = 0 and read off the coefficients: a = -2, b = 4, c = -7.
- 2
Work out the discriminant D = b² − 4ac. Its sign tells you how many real solutions there are.
- 3
D is negative, so there are no real solutions; the two solutions are complex numbers.
- 4
The quadratic formula works for every quadratic:
- 5
Simplify (pull the square out of the root) to get the solutions:
LaTeX source of the formulas on this page
\[ -2x^2 + 4x - 7 = 0\ \Rightarrow\ x = \frac{2 + \sqrt{10}\, i}{2},\ \frac{2 - \sqrt{10}\, i}{2} \]
\[ -2x^2 + 4x - 7 = 0 \]
\[ D = 4^2 - 4\cdot(-2)\cdot(-7) = 16 - 56 = -40 \]
\[ x = \frac{-b \pm \sqrt{D}}{2a} = \frac{-4 \pm \sqrt{-40}}{-4} \]
\[ x = \frac{2 + \sqrt{10}\, i}{2}\quad\text{or}\quad x = \frac{2 - \sqrt{10}\, i}{2} \]The parabola y = -2x² + 4x - 7
| x | y |
|---|---|
| -2 | -23 |
| -1 | -13 |
| 0 | -7 |
| 1 | -5 |
| 2 | -7 |
| 3 | -13 |
| 4 | -23 |
Questions
What are the solutions of -2x² + 4x - 7 = 0?
-2x² + 4x - 7 = 0 has no real solutions. The two complex solutions are x = (2 + √10 i)/2 and x = (2 - √10 i)/2.
Does -2x² + 4x - 7 = 0 factor?
Not over the integers, because the discriminant -40 is negative. Use the quadratic formula.
What is the vertex of y = -2x² + 4x - 7?
(1, -5). The parabola opens downwards, so this is the maximum.
What are the sum and product of the roots?
Sum = −b/a = 2, product = c/a = 7/2.